Under the Waves Review

There is something that draws me to the sea. Something deeply strange about what lies beneath, the ancient waiting to be discovered. Or perhaps left alone. It’s under those waves in which us humans have only mapped some 10 percent of the sea, discovering even less of its believed mass. 

Under the Waves is a game that puts you into that deep blue. A game full of mystery, but of environmental teachings and a strong message. Let us go down deep into the trenches. 

I have a strange relationship with games that are filled with glitches. Some games are so badly put together that they are near impossible to play, unable to ever get from A to B. Then there are games that glitch and bug out from time to time, here and there. I always choose to ignore it. That’s been the case with Under the Waves.

This is a game that has crashed on me multiple times through my playthough yet luckily the story and atmosphere have continually made me want to keep coming back. It’s helped further by the fact that the save points are so generous I didn’t feel like there was much backtracking. This might annoy some, especially since this is a game that has already been patched a few times by the developers. But not me. I’m happy to put up with things. 

Under the Waves starts with day one of the diver Stan Moray going down from the surface, all to start a shift as a diver onboard a hub on the bottom of the ocean. He is completely alone in his job, apart from an onboard computer and his line manager, Tim, who talks to him on the radio. Stan works for UniTrench, a sort of fictitious – but familiar – giant oil company. They are reaping the ocean floor with a complete lack of concern for oil spills and sea animal welfare. As Stan carries on he sees the havoc they are causing and the strange experiments they are involved in. Oh yeah, and Stan sees his dead daughter in spirit form, throughout his dreams…

The storytelling is absolutely first-class. It’s a brilliantly engaging tale that has moments of wonder, sadness, and profoundness. It’s that which was the hook that kept pulling me in and as I played on I felt connected to the main character, as well as one called Jo. That’s all you’re getting from me – I refuse to spoil anything else.  

The gameplay consists of a few different elements. First is the exploration, in which there are two ideas in play. One comes in the form of freeroam diving, allowing you to swim in the ocean with a limited oxygen supply that needs forever to be added to through oxygen sticks. In this mode, you can operate levers and machinery as well as scan for different items to collect.

In the second form of exploration, you have an underwater vehicle called ‘Moon”. You drive this around, covering long distances, exploring the depths without worrying about oxygen supplies. It can get dented and needs keeping on top of, all done via repair kits. 

In your home hub, you get to craft items from blueprints found on the ocean floor, creating new items and things you might need on your travels. I wasn’t overly concerned for this part of Under the Waves, preferring to focus on the missions, but there is a lot to do and find in the game away from the main story if you want to. There’s even the chance to spend some time playing guitar, watching TV, and drinking coffee if you prefer. 

On the whole, the mission structure is good and interesting but there is a lot to discover including a nice photographic side mission structure where you take pictures of certain sea animals. 

The visuals of Under the Waves are good in the sea. Yet when the game becomes more dreamlike and abstract, things truly shine. The character animations are decent enough too, but sometimes can look a bit rough around the edges. When you consider the occasion judder, Under the Waves does its best to try and take you away from the atmosphere. But on the other side, the game does a brilliant job of creating a diverse and intriguing underwater environment. 

The soundtrack is wonderful. It’s beautiful at times, mixing melancholic tunes and awe-inspiring bits of wonder. The effects are good as well, ensuring that you will feel like you really are under the water, down in the deepest depths. Ben Lambert is a brilliant actor and supplies the voice-over work for our main hero. He sums up the feeling of the character and the loneliness of being at the bottom of the sea with exquisiteness and compassion. Brilliant work. 

If you’re one of those gamers who gets annoyed with game glitches and bugs, it’s best you stay away from Under the Waves. But see through those and you’ll find that the story, atmosphere, and world will keep dragging you back. 

An amazing piece of world-building that is complemented with some superb visuals and audio work, Under the Waves will keep you captivated for some eight hours or so. And come the end, you may just be sad that it has finished. The biggest thing though? Under the Waves will make you think about what happens beneath the water with a greater understanding.